In April of 2023 I stepped off a sidewalk, rolled my foot and fractured my right foot. I was put in a boot for 6 weeks. No running, no walking, no cycling.

Anyone who knows me knows that this is the worst possible injury for me. I am a runner. It is the sole exercise that clears my head and keeps me sane. So many friends and co-workers made comments like: “You are the worst person this could happen to” and “I don’t want to be Whit when you are bored and going stir-crazy”.

True to character, I kept going to the gym doing any exercise that I could without using my legs. After 6 weeks I transitioned to sneakers but I still couldn’t run. After 4 months I went to see my doctor because it still was bothering me and I had put the boot back on. He told me to stop babying it, take off the boot and go for a run! Best advice ever! I slowly worked my way up to 5 miles and in September I committed to running the OUC 1/2 marathon.

This is where being a planner worked in my favor. I set a training schedule and held to it even when traveling to visit family. My goal was to run it in under 2 1/2 hours. With the support of a friend who hopped in and out of the race to keep me company and Whit finding me 2 times along the route to cheer me on I finished in 2:21. I came in 30th in my age group. But more importantly I had so much fun! Made me wonder…maybe a marathon? Stay tuned…